car.
“ I'd be better if you had just taken my advice,” he said rather shortly as he met her eyes across the top of the car.
“ Is there something you want to tell me, Jason?” Suzie asked calmly. He held her gaze for a long moment as if he was considering it, but finally he looked away and closed the passenger side door he had been holding open for Mary.
“ See you at seven,” he sighed and strolled off down the sidewalk. Suzie watched him for a moment before sliding into the driver's seat. She looked over at Mary piled to her chin with bags and couldn't help but laugh.
“ There is a trunk you know,” she grinned as she pulled the bags off her friend and tossed them onto the back seat.
“ With that conversation, I wasn't going to say a word,” Mary said with a slow shake of her head. “You know, Suzie, when you first brought it up I thought you were being a little paranoid, but now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I think I agree with you.”
“ Agree with me about what?” Suzie asked as she started the car.
“ Something isn't right with Jason, and I'm certain it has something to do with that mayor,” she added through gritted teeth.
“ I didn't get a good feeling about dear old Thomas either,” Suzie admitted and drove back towards the house.
“ Well, obviously you would be suspicious of him,” Mary said with a shrug.
“ What do you mean?” Suzie asked curiously.
“ I mean the photograph,” Mary reminded her as she looked over at Suzie. “Didn't you recognize him?”
All of a sudden Suzie's eyes widened and she drew a sharp breath. The truth was she hadn't recognized him. But the moment that Mary mentioned the photograph, she knew exactly who her friend was talking about. There was no question in her mind that the man she had just met was the very same man in the photograph they had found in the safety deposit box.
“ Oh my,” she whispered as they pulled into the long drive of the house. “I'm starting to think that my uncle really did get into the middle of something he shouldn't have.”
Once inside the house Suzie immediately pulled out the photographs again. Sure enough the man in the photo was identical to the mayor they had just met.
“ If what Jason said was true and Thomas was an old family friend, then he and Harry must have known each other,” she tapped her chin slightly and shook her head. “None of this makes any sense at all to me.”
“ It's a little confusing,” Mary agreed and pointed to the expression on the frightened woman's face. “I think it's time we found out who this person is. Was she his lover? Perhaps he was having an affair and these photos were going to prove it?”
“ Do you really think my uncle would be killed over a simple affair?” Suzie asked as she picked up the photo of the woman with a clear image of her face.
“ We don't know that he was killed,” Mary reminded her. “Maybe he was so stressed over discovering that his friend was cheating on his wife, that he really did have a sudden heart attack.”
“ Maybe,” Suzie said softly as she recalled the firm grip of the mayor's handshake. “Thomas Ralley, TR,” she shook her head and frowned. “I bet that cufflink really does belong to him.”
“ We have some time before dinner, maybe we should head into town and see if we can find out about the woman in the photograph?” Mary suggested as she glanced over the still messy living room. “It beats cleaning!”
“ I guess you're right,” Suzie nodded and then looked up at Mary. “But we should be careful who we talk to. If the mayor is as dangerous as I suspect he might be, then we don't want to make ourselves targets.”
“ He is dangerous,” Jason said from the doorway of the house. It still startled Suzie to see him in his uniform considering her history with the police.
“ Jason,” she smiled at him as he stepped further inside. “We are looking forward to dinner tonight.”
“ Look, I don't know what the
“ I'd be better if you had just taken my advice,” he said rather shortly as he met her eyes across the top of the car.
“ Is there something you want to tell me, Jason?” Suzie asked calmly. He held her gaze for a long moment as if he was considering it, but finally he looked away and closed the passenger side door he had been holding open for Mary.
“ See you at seven,” he sighed and strolled off down the sidewalk. Suzie watched him for a moment before sliding into the driver's seat. She looked over at Mary piled to her chin with bags and couldn't help but laugh.
“ There is a trunk you know,” she grinned as she pulled the bags off her friend and tossed them onto the back seat.
“ With that conversation, I wasn't going to say a word,” Mary said with a slow shake of her head. “You know, Suzie, when you first brought it up I thought you were being a little paranoid, but now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I think I agree with you.”
“ Agree with me about what?” Suzie asked as she started the car.
“ Something isn't right with Jason, and I'm certain it has something to do with that mayor,” she added through gritted teeth.
“ I didn't get a good feeling about dear old Thomas either,” Suzie admitted and drove back towards the house.
“ Well, obviously you would be suspicious of him,” Mary said with a shrug.
“ What do you mean?” Suzie asked curiously.
“ I mean the photograph,” Mary reminded her as she looked over at Suzie. “Didn't you recognize him?”
All of a sudden Suzie's eyes widened and she drew a sharp breath. The truth was she hadn't recognized him. But the moment that Mary mentioned the photograph, she knew exactly who her friend was talking about. There was no question in her mind that the man she had just met was the very same man in the photograph they had found in the safety deposit box.
“ Oh my,” she whispered as they pulled into the long drive of the house. “I'm starting to think that my uncle really did get into the middle of something he shouldn't have.”
Once inside the house Suzie immediately pulled out the photographs again. Sure enough the man in the photo was identical to the mayor they had just met.
“ If what Jason said was true and Thomas was an old family friend, then he and Harry must have known each other,” she tapped her chin slightly and shook her head. “None of this makes any sense at all to me.”
“ It's a little confusing,” Mary agreed and pointed to the expression on the frightened woman's face. “I think it's time we found out who this person is. Was she his lover? Perhaps he was having an affair and these photos were going to prove it?”
“ Do you really think my uncle would be killed over a simple affair?” Suzie asked as she picked up the photo of the woman with a clear image of her face.
“ We don't know that he was killed,” Mary reminded her. “Maybe he was so stressed over discovering that his friend was cheating on his wife, that he really did have a sudden heart attack.”
“ Maybe,” Suzie said softly as she recalled the firm grip of the mayor's handshake. “Thomas Ralley, TR,” she shook her head and frowned. “I bet that cufflink really does belong to him.”
“ We have some time before dinner, maybe we should head into town and see if we can find out about the woman in the photograph?” Mary suggested as she glanced over the still messy living room. “It beats cleaning!”
“ I guess you're right,” Suzie nodded and then looked up at Mary. “But we should be careful who we talk to. If the mayor is as dangerous as I suspect he might be, then we don't want to make ourselves targets.”
“ He is dangerous,” Jason said from the doorway of the house. It still startled Suzie to see him in his uniform considering her history with the police.
“ Jason,” she smiled at him as he stepped further inside. “We are looking forward to dinner tonight.”
“ Look, I don't know what the
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